Epson has recently announced their gallery quality Exhibition Fiber Paper (EFP) under the Epson Professional label. What's so special about another inkjet paper? Well this one pays particular attention to the past and is the closest thing to a modern F-Surface Silver Halide paper available for inkjet. EFP boasts a D-Max of 2.7 which translates in some of the deepest blacks available and extraordinary subtle shadow details. This not nly bodes well for some of the best B&W prints available but shows a promise of silky smooth toned color prints.

Having seen some of this paper first hand in Vegas during Photoshop World 07 (courtesy of Vincent Versace,) and pressing my nose against it - it's the real deal! Vincent showed us this "top secret silver halide" inkjet paper during a private lesson on IR photography and printing. Alhough he couldn't reveal it's name or who made it, but it's clear that the recent EFP announcement is what we saw. If you're printing on K3 inks, you will deffinitely want to add this to your arsenal.

Scott Kelby wrote on the Photoshop Insider Blog:

The black and white reproduction on this paper is just off the charts for anything I’ve seen coming out of an inkjet, and I’m now spoiled to the point that I’m not sure I’ll be able to print on anything else. I really think the texture, look and feel of this new fiber-based paper is going to finally win over that last bastion of the photographer who was clinging on to the notion that lab prints were still king. This is that big a deal.

Also, I found this interesting; while this new Exhibition Fiber paper is now clearly THE paper for black and white, I was stunned by the quality and richness of the color reproduction as well. This paper is just sick!!! (in a really, really good way).

Available in mid November - Click here for more info on Epson's website.

Tony these are clearly for "Fine Art" prints. I wouldn't suggest using this paper for family snapshots or anything. A personal art project, gallery presentation, or paying client would be the intended purpose.

Usually delivered matted or matted and framed, a single fine art image on this paper would be sold for much more than the cost of an entire pack of paper and the frame cost combined. Sell a handful and you just paid for your printer as well. You go from it costing money to it generating money.